I'm going to try to start writing shorter reviews so save my time and yours (because I care about you, too, the 10 people that view this site), and I figured I should start with this one. The Strokes are a garage rock band, influenced by Iggy Pop and 70's punk acts (or so many people say) that broke big in 2001/2002 thanks to hype from the British press.

So, once again, I'm faced with the duty to see past the hype and get to the meat of the album. And the album as a whole isn't bad, mind you. It's actually very, very good. However, the band clearly lacks diversity. Just about every song is good, but sound extremely similar. Seriously. I've had this album since February, and still can't tell some of the songs apart if it wasn't for the lyrics.

It still kicks, though, despite this. Highlights include the hits "Last Night," and "Hard to Explain," as well as "Barely Legal," the title track and "Take It or Leave It." Hard rockin', but not "headbangin'" hard rockin', is what these guys are. There are no ballads; just about everything is a mid-tempo rocker.

And the rest? None of it qualifies for "bad." Hell, most of it doesn't qualify for "not as good as what I just called a 'highlight.'" The difference is that what I DID highlight all feature the best hooks on the album, which distinguish them from the mess (by "mess" I mean "arrangement") of shimmering guitars, and steady rhythm.

And since it definitely deserves some recognition, the track left off the American version because of the 9/11 attacks (though it's just "a narrative based loosely on a story from the 1960's" that meant no harm to the officers of the NYPD), "New York City Cops" is the best song on the British version of this album… The British version would get an 8.5 from me, by the way.

In conclusion, if you like the singles, you'll like the album. If you don't, well… that's your decision (or a decision of your tastes). These guys have potential - just pray they don't waste theirs like Limp Bizkit and Guns N' Roses.